Read a full match report of the Europa League round of 16 game between Anzhi
Makhachkala and Newcastle United at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow on Thursday
7 March 2013.

Newcastle United will feel they are the favourites to progress after this goalless draw with Anzhi, but the Europa League tie hangs as delicately as an icicle in a Russian Spring.

The visitors were able to contain Anzhi well enough in the first leg, an impressive feat given they had won all seven of their home games in Europe and conceded just one goal in the process, but the Russians, managed by Guus Hiddink, know they only need a score draw at St James’ Park next week to reach the Europa League quarter-final.

They cannot be discounted and Newcastle may still rue their failure to score here after Hatem Ben Arfa, on his return to the side after three months out with a hamstring injury, tried to chip Vladimir Gabulov.

The France international, played in by Yohan Cabaye midway through the second half, would normally have slotted a shot past the goalkeeper, but he tried to be clever and Gabulov made him look silly by standing up and catching the ball.

“It’s an intriguing tie now,” said manager Alan Pardew. “If you told me our goalkeeper would only have to make two good saves on the night, in these conditions, on this pitch against opposition as strong as this, I’d have taken that.

“I’m really looking forward to the second leg, if you’re going to progress in Europe you have to win your home games and that is exactly what we need to do now. It’s not going to be easy, but they will have to fight our crowd as well as the team.”

Newcastle were able to set themselves up with containment in mind in the away leg, adopting the Spanish system of the false No 9 – filled by Ben Arfa – for the first time. It enabled them to knock the ball around smoothly, but often deprived them of a forward pass in the final third.

Not that the home side offered much more of a threat going forward and neither goalkeeper had a shot to save for 40 minutes until Elliot got enough on a shot from Samuel Eto’o to tip it on to the roof of the net.

Given Makhachka is more than 1,000 miles north of Moscow, the few thousand supporters who had made the trip to the Russian capital deserved something to cheer, while the 72 who managed to get their visa in time to make the trip over from Tyneside could only hope Newcastle showed a little more ambition in the second half.

Elliot made an even better save on the hour mark, getting down quickly to turn Oleg Shatov’s shot round the post as Newcastle briefly struggled to get out of their half.

Anzhi, though, have not played a competitive game in the league for three months because of their winter break and tired as a result.

Indeed, Newcastle probably should have created more than just the one chance for Ben Arfa, although Sylvain Marveaux was unfortunate to see a goalbound shot blocked by the trailing leg of a defender.